ANATIN^. ANAS. 
275 
Tail feathers twenty ; bill and feet black, the former with a small 
orange spot on each side at the base ; plumage pure white. Young 
grey. 
Male, 58, 84. 
Common during winter in the Middle Atlantic Districts, especially 
on Chesapeake Bay. Not seen south of Carolina. Columbia River. 
Breeds in the Fur Countries. 
American Wild Swan, Cygnus americanus, Sharpless, Amer. Journ. of Sc. and 
Arts, V. xxii. 
American Swan, Cygnus americanus, Ann. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 133. 
GENUS IV. ANAS, Linn. DUCK. 
Bill about the length of the head, somewhat higher than 
broad at the base, depressed and widened towards the end, 
rounded at the tip ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 
sloping, and a little concave, the ridge at the base broad 
and flat, towards the end broadly convex, as are the sides, 
the edges soft and rather obtuse, the marginal lameUse 
numerous, oblique ; unguis decurved, obovate ; nasal groove 
elliptical, subbasal, filled by the soft membrane of the bill ; 
lower mandible flattened, slightly recurvate, with the angle 
very long and narrow, the unguis roundish, the lamellae 
numerous. Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, near the ridge. 
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed ; neck rather 
long and slender; body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, 
placed a little behind the centre of the body ; tibia bare a 
little above the joint ; tarsus short, somewhat compressed, 
anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with 
angular scales ; hind toe extremely small, with a very nar- 
row membrane ; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, 
but longer than second ; all covered with numerous oblique 
scutella ; anterior connected by reticulated membranes. 
Claws small, arched, compressed, rather acute. Plumage 
dense, soft. Wings of moderate length, acute ; second 
quill longest, first very little shorter; inner secondaries 
elongated and tapering ; tail short, much rounded, of six- 
